My first thoughts as I woke that morning were of how best to begin. Like it was the most natural thing in the world to go to sleep wanting to die and waking up to having a mission to change your life. But how to begin? I knew where my books were and I was pretty sure I knew where most of the other items I had collected were, but how EXACTLY did I begin? So I brewed some coffee and opened my laptop and in the search engine I typed “How to become Wiccan.” Wow, who knew there were so many websites on Wicca! I was excited but also a little overwhelmed. Which sites do I start with, how do I trust the information given? I decided to trust my gut. I had been looking into Wicca on and off for about 10 years or so, and I had a good understanding of the basics. I started at the top of the Google search page and opened 3 or 4 at a time in new tabs. I would quickly skim each website and if I liked and understood what I was reading I would bookmark that site. I found a few websites that I felt would give me a good starting point. I opened the One Note app on my computer and started a couple of new pages. One page was a list of all the things I knew I needed to understand and do more research on. One was a page that I planned to use to document my experiences with Wicca, but which quickly turned into this blog. And a third page I created was an outline of what will soon become my Book Of Shadows. I spent the better part of 3 days researching Wicca and coming up with my own belief system. That is one of the many aspects of Wicca that I like the most. The ability to practice my religion MY WAY! I don’t have to believe what I am told to believe. Wicca is a religion but its so much more. Wicca is a way of life. The God and Goddess will accept me as long as I am true to me and harm none. I may stumble along the way. In fact, I’m positive I will. But I have the freedom to explore Wicca my way, in the order I deem important. I can choose to depict the God and Goddess as the Horned God and Lady Crone, or maybe I prefer the Greek God, Pan and the Celtic Goddess Cerridwen. Or maybe in a few years I feel as if I have learned all I can from the Celtic Goddess and now I would like the Roman Goddess Diana to represent my version of the Goddess. IT DOESN’T MATTER! There is no single one way of doing things in Wicca! I don’t have to behave like everyone else anymore. I don’t have to pretend to be or believe in something I don’t just to try to fit in anymore. I am who I am. Love me or hate me, (and believe me, I am still a ways away from truly “loving me”) this is me and I am determined to never feel good enough again!
Okay, so research, check. What’s next? There are so many things I want and need to do. Meditation is a big part of Wicca. But I don’t think I’ve ever actually meditated a day in my life. I have collected a few books on Wicca over the years have a lot of great advice about all different aspects of The Craft, but I need more help with meditation than reading could give me. I got the basics, quiet room, comfortable position, breathing, but I am not able to keep my mind clear for more than a minute or two at a time. So I went to the internet. There are A LOT of websites on Wicca and it can get a bit tedious figuring out which ones are actually looking to help others with the craft and which ones are only trying to make money. When I am researching a topic I will look at a bunch of websites before I decide which ones I think are going to be the most helpful. And when I find one I really love I plan on referencing that site often, with links to the main page or the specific page I am discussing at the time.
So when it came to meditation, I finally found just what I was looking for. Spells8 is a great site for those beginning on the spiritual path. They have a bunch of lessons in a verity of different topics to help new Witches such as myself. But my favorite at the moment is their Meditation Page. There is an audio course made to help those with no meditation experience get the hang of it. And WOW does it work! I may not have mastered it yet, but with just a little practice, I’ll be a pro at meditation in no time! They also have 5 other types of meditation ranging from tea to candle to zodiac meditation and each page has several different videos on the subject. I highly recommend you check them out. This is a you need to sign up for a monthly or a cheaper yearly subscription, but you can sign up for a 2 week free trail to check out their courses and see if you would benefit from their lessons. I know I will! I have started listening to the beginner meditation audio twice a day. In the morning about an hour or so after I wake up and before I go to sleep at night. I eventually plan on turning these two daily meditations into rituals with the God and Goddess, but I want to get the hang of meditation first before I move on to bigger and better things. (I would like to add that I have in no way benefited from endorsing this website. I really believe the videos are helpful and not just for new Witches)
Until tomorrow friends,
Merry meet
From Waning to Wiccan 